The last time she saw him was right before they left Goldstone. He could barely look at her when they separated at the parking lot. He got into his car all by himself, he didn’t ask about the hotel bill that she’d spent lavishly on room service and the minibar, and he drove away.
It left her feeling a little guilty afterward. Especially when she didn’t see him around at her house for the rest of spring break. Max seemed to be busy with Mia and he never mentioned Theo all through that week except when he came into her room and gave her a pep talk.
“Is there something I should know about you and Theo?”
She was taken aback by his question, she shook her head, “No, why?”
“You know why … ” he looked at her in the eyes demanded a more honest answer.
“I swear … I didn’t know he was going to kiss me, and then you walked in on us,” she insisted.
Max scratched his cheek and sat on the edge of her bed, “Okay … what did he say to you? I mean … he has a girlfriend.”
“I know that, he … I don’t know … there’s nothing, really, he was just being stupid,” she was getting more uncomfortable discussing it with Max.
He sighed, “That’s even worse, don’t you think? He had a fight with Peyton and then he tried that with you … he’s my best friend, he should’ve known to treat you better than that.”
Hazel touched her brother’s hand, “I’m sure he didn’t mean it that way … I mean … I may have had something to do with that.”
“What do you mean?”
She shrugged, “Well … I used to have a crush on him for a long time … isn’t that obvious?” If anyone knew, Max would knew about it too.
“I know … ‘used to’? So you’re over him, right?” he was glad to hear it.
She paused for a moment, “He has a girlfriend … he always had one … I mean, I don’t know …”
“No … no … no … Hazel, you can’t … not with any of my friends, especially not Theo,” he was firm about it.
She furrowed her brows, she didn’t realize how strongly he felt about it, “Why?”
He stood up, “Because … he’s like a brother to me, he’s like a brother to you too isn’t he? Isn’t that weird? And we’re going to college soon … do you have any idea what college guys do? And I know what he does with his girlfriends … and …” he shook his shoulders as if he was disgusted. “Don’t put that in my head, okay? And if it doesn’t work out … which most first relationships don’t … what then?”
She folded her knees and hugged them, Max had a point, “It was just a kiss … it’s not like we’re getting married or anything.”
“I know, that’s what I meant … I don’t want him or you fooling around with each other like it means nothing, because I need you both in my life … I don’t want to lose one or the other because of a stupid fling, or an experimental relationship just because you’re curious … he’s not that guy, do you know what I mean?”
She got the idea, she nodded lightly, it was that curiosity in the back of her mind she couldn’t quite muted. Theo was the guy she had been daydreaming about since she was 9, and to have this unfolding around her like there was going to be something happening between her and Theo was surreal.
“It’s best that you keep your distance from him for the time being, let him work things out with Peyton … whatever they’re going through right now, don’t be the reason behind it,” Max added.
“Where is he anyway? I haven’t seen him around since Goldstone … are you not talking to him?”
“No … we’re fine … he’s just busy with college stuff I guess, and patching things up with Peyton, I don’t know … he’ll come around soon enough.”
She was used to seeing him all the time, she felt his sudden absent and frankly, she kind of missed him. But Max was right, things were a little weird when they left, maybe a little time apart would be good, and everything will get back to the way it was before.
Theo never came around to her house that week. The next time she saw him was at school with his arm around Peyton. He patched things up with her, they were posing together on Peyton’s Instagram like two lovebirds again. They were smooching in the corners of their school again. Things really did get back the way it was before and Hazel couldn’t help but felt a little sad.